


The Magnificent Pines' Cirque Mystère

by Leah_Red



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/F, Fluff, circus AU, gift/request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 16:10:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10222220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leah_Red/pseuds/Leah_Red
Summary: It's Pacifica's birthday at the Pines' circus. It's only a matter of time before Pacifica finds out exactly what "explosive" gift Mabel has in store for her.





	

The lights in the big top circus tent started to dim, and the crowd got hushed. A spotlight shone down on the center of the ring, where Ringmaster Stan Pines stood.

“And now... we introduce one of our most dangerous acts.” He really worked the crowd, turning left and right, meeting people's eyes through the dark tent. “The most amazing flying girl you'll ever see... Shooting Star Mabel Pines, the human cannonball!”

The crowd cheered when another, bigger spotlight snapped on, revealing a large pink, sequined cannon that had been rolled silently in while the lights were out. Walking next to it, helmet in hand, was Mabel herself. She was wearing her standard performance garb. It had glittering leggings and a sparkly top, with a shiny skirt reaching down to her knees. On her back was a waist length satin cape with her symbol embroidered on it: a shooting star. However, it was almost totally obscured by her ankle-length curly brown hair.

Another pair of spotlights lit her up as she bowed to the cheering crowd. This was always her favorite part of the night. She put on her helmet, making sure the viking-type horns and unicorn spike on top here still attached. They had a habit of falling off during landing.

“Our own Shoot Star will show you that the most daunting, the most intrepid stuntsmasters and dare devils are only by-standers on the extreme action scene!”

While Stan did his spiel, Pacifica appeared from outside of the spotlight, pushing along a ladder on wheels. It too, of course, was covered in pink glitter and sequins. Clenched between her teeth is a cigarette in a long holder. She likes the long holders- less chance of ashes falling on her clothes. Getting burn marks off of a tight white leather suit and fur coat was a pain in the ass.

“You ready Mabs?” Pacifica lined up the ladder and bowed to the audience. No one could hear them while they were out in the ring like this without being miked up.

“Oh more than ready.” She adjusted her helmet one more time before clambering up the ladder. Mabel turned and bowed to each side of the audience before slipping in feet first to the cannon. On her way up, Pacifica blew her a little smoke-ring heart. She couldn't help it.

With that, Pacifica grabbed the ladder and pulled it to the side. She took one last drag of her cigarrette and walked on her tall white stiletto heels to the back of the cannon, where Soos and Dipper were turning it slightly and adjusting the angle. 

Finally Stan shushed the crowed, and there was a tense silence as Pacifica held her cigarette out my the long holder. There was a louder than normal hiss as she used the glowing end to light the fuse. Dipper had specifically made those fuses to sound louder than normal.

She took a step back and surreptitiously adjusted her ear plugs in. It wasn't that loud of a cannon but being so close had a danger of hearing loss. Pacifica had the timing of this down so the second Mabel shot out of the cannon with a bang, she gestured with her arm, sending her off.

And of course, as she, Dipper and Soos are pulling the cannon out of the ring, Pacifica looked down at her white outfit to see it covered in soot. She sighed and shook her head, and once they were outside lit herself another cigarette.

-

“I think that went well, don't you?” Pacifica sat outside the large enclosure for Dipper's big cats. That's what he moved on to, after she took his place as the cannon lighter during shows. She had brushed off most of the soot and ash from the launch that night, but her hair was still a little speckled with black bits. Her perch was on top of the half-used barrels and crates full of gunpowder that she nonchalantly tapped ashes into from her long cigarette.

“Yeah, I think so.” Mabel had taken off her cape and was sitting with just her legs in the opening of the cannon. She looked down at Pacifica and laughed a little. “How many times are you going to blow up a cask of powder before you stop doing that?”

“Never, probably. When are you going to stop sitting in a loaded cannon with me smoking near by?” Pacifica blew her some more smoke-ring hearts, making one go through the next.

Mabel blushed. “Well fine. If you're going to be that way.”

In the big cat enclosure, Dipper was wearing his usual blue pine tree hat, making sure all the animals had food and water, and that their straw and bedding was clean. “I'm not cleaning up the mess if either of you explodes again,” he calls out.

“Nobody asked you!” the girls said in unison, then started giggling. Once they caught their breath again, Pacifica spoke up.

“I think he's still mad I stole his job,” she stage whispered, making sure he could hear her. Pacifica took the little stub of cigarette left in her holder and crushed it against the sole of her shoe. “Speaking of lighting things, still carry around those matches, Dip?”

The Pine in question rolled his eyes and came over, getting out the box of matches he still carried around out of habit. He lit a match and held it out so Pacifica could light her cigarette. “That's a bad habit you know?”

“Mhm. And you're enabling me.” Pacifica thanked him and sat back against the nearest barrel.

It was quiet for a while, until Mabel swung down by her knees to hang down in front of Pacifica. Her long hair, now tied together in a loose braid, swung down and brushed against the ground.

“I still think that cigarette habit is Freudian,” she said, crossing her arms. Mabel's cheeks were starting to slowly flush red from the blood flowing to her head.

“And you getting shot out of a giant phallic cannon isn't?” Pacifica raised her eyebrows and looked at her friend. Mabel blushed faster than she would have from just hanging upside down. When Pacifica didn't look away she swung herself back up and crawled into the cannon til just her head was showing.

“Whatever at least I don't put the cannon in my MOUTH!” Mabel's contrite act was all a ruse, apparently. She was laughing so hard at her own joke that she didn't notice Pacifica got up and walked to the back of the cannon to light the fuse.

“Oh wow... that was a good one...” Mabel laughed and wiped a tear from her eye. “Wasn't it Pacifica? ...uh. Pacifica?”

There was a loud hiss, and a few seconds later, a loud boom. Mabel's shout faded into the distance as she shot off into the sky and disappeared with a final twinkle.

“Yeah, I guess it wasn't too bad.” Pacifica took another drag from her cigarette and watched the smoke rise from the mouth of the cannon.

-

The next day, coincidentally Pacifica's birthday, was a day off. It was a day to rest the animals and performers for a big show the next night, before they had to pack up and leave for their next stop on the tour. Pacifica had her hair in a big blonde bun and was walking around the circus grounds in her white, soot stained robe, working up her appetite for lunch. Her birthday breakfast had consisted of some chocolate chip pancakes made in her trailer, and then going back to bed.

As she made her way towards the food tent, where most everyone gets their meals, Pacifica noticed that there weren't a whole lot of the usual performers outside, stretching or working on their acts like normal. The only person she saw was Dipper, with an ocelot sitting on his shoulder. As soon as he saw her, he ran into the food tent.

“What a weirdo.” She reached into the pocket of her robe for her pack of cigarettes as she entered into the tent but dropped it as soon as she pushed past the flap.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!”

Everyone was standing around a huge cake covered in candles, lit so bright it practically hid the cake. Dipper came forward, with the ocelot still sitting on his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek, and put a big sash that said “Happy Birthday” over her shoulder. 

“We've been waiting here a while,” Lazy Susan said, hands on her hips. “We almost ate the cake without you!” she joked.

Pacifica was grinning as she let Dipper lead her into the tent to the seat of honor at the head of the big table. Stan handed her a large, expensive looking cigar with the end already clipped off. Someone in the crowd lit it for her, and she took a big drag.

“Damn, Stan, you really went all out on this one.”

“You wouldn't let us live it down if forgot your birthday, kid.” The ringmaster slapped her goodnaturedly on the shoulder.

“You know it.” Pacifica sang along when they sang Happy Birthday, but was still looking around curiously. There was only one person missing from their little soiree...

Pacifica cursed to herself when she went to take another smoke from the birthday cigar and found that it had gone out. Instead of asking for a relight from someone, she leaned forward to light it from a birthday candle.

“SURPRISEHAPPYBIRTHDAY!” A veritable explosion of cake and frosting and candles burst into the air, and there was the missing circus performer right in the middle of her cake.

Pacifica blinked a few times, totally covered in cake. Once the shock passed she started to laugh,and laughed even harder when Mabel leaned forward out of the cake to hug her. She was even more covered in cake and between the two of them they probably had at least two or three slices covering them.

Once Mabel climbed out of the cake, Dipper and Soos brought out the real cake. It was much smaller and definitely didn't have anyone hidden inside. There were also a few gifts, but mostly practical things that Pacifica could use every day, like a new cigarette holder with her name engraved on it, and a new pair of soot-resistant heels.

The celebrations continue through the day, in little ways. Stan delivered the rest of the box of cigars to her trailer, and Mabel offered to clean up her cake-covered robe. Everyone said happy birthday no matter how many times they'd said it before.

By the time the sun went down, Pacifica had to admit that it had been a pretty good birthday. She was in her trailer and ready to go to bed when someone knocked on her door.

Pacifica opened it and looked surprised. “Oh hi Mabel. What's up?”

“I have one more present for you. Come on.” She grabbed Pacfica's hand and pulled her out into the cool night. For some reason she had on her performance outfit too.

“Oh? Is that so?” Pacifica had to run a little bit to keep up with her. “Where are we even going anyway?”

Mabel didn't answer. Soon they were at a small open space on the edge of the circus grounds. Her cannon and ladder were set up, along with a bunch of small candles lighting the space.

“Wow... this is... almost romantic.” Pacifica found herself blushing and wishing she had a cigarette to hide behind the smoke.

“Only almost?” Mabel asked, looking both hopeful and disappointed. She was pulling on an odd looking backpack.

“Okay fine. It is romantic. Just... not what I expected.”

“Good. I like surprising you.” Mabel pulled one of Pacifica's cigars from behind her back. “I need your assistance, if you don't mind.”

Pacifica laughed and took the cigar to light it.

“Mind doing the honors?” Mabel asked as she climbed up into her cannon.

“I think I can handle that.” 

“Oh wait! This one too.” Mabel reached her hand out of the cannon, holding a fuse. Pacifica climbed up to light it, curious. “Now hurry up and light the cannon!”

Pacifica pulled away the ladder and then quickly lit the fuse at the back of the cannon. She stuck her cigar back in her mouth and stuck her fingers in hears, ready for this surprise, whatever it may be.

With a predictable bang the cannon went off, and then a few seconds later there was another big bang, filling the air with the pink and white sparkles of fireworks. Whatever Pacifica had lit on Mabel, it kept going for quiet some time. The last cracks and bangs were just fading when Mabel walked back up, covered head to toe in soot and smelling of sulphery gunpowder.

“Mabel... that was amazing! Thank you.” Pacifica said so sincerely, and tried to put all her feeling in it. It really was the best present of the night, due to both who it was from and how much personal danger that Mabel put herself in to do this. 

“Really?” Mabel looked surprisingly bashful.

“Yeah. Really.” Pacifica took one last drag from her big cigar and leaned over to Mabel to kiss her tenderly on the cheek. She blew a heart-shaped smoke-ring; it was glittery and smelled like cake and frosting even hours after the birthday party. She poked Mabel's cheek to get her to open her mouth before popping her half-smoked cigar into her mouth. “See you later Shooting Star,” Pacifica said with a wink.

She walked off without another word. Mabel stared after her, cheeks flushed. Right as Pacifica left her field of vision, turning around a corner, the cigar in Mabel's mouth exploded with a bang of sparkles and glitter.

“Wow...”

**Author's Note:**

> For waldorkler on tumblr who requested some cute fluff and was kind enough to help out with an outline for the story as well. I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
